Damper and throat form



bet. 3, 1939.

D. c. KLANN DAMPER AND THROAT FORM Filed May 27, 1938 1N VENT OR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 14 Claims.

form at the inclination of the corbel at the front of the throat.

It is a further object of the invention to detachably connect the supporting frame and the throat form so that when these elements are connected the throat form is supported in desired position while the masonry of the throat is being formed, with the throat form adapted for detachment from the supporting frame and removal from the throatwhen the masonry of the throat has been formed.

It is a still further object of the invention to adjust the throat form so that its length between its upper and lower edges may conform to the distance between the start of the corbel at the front of the throat and that point at which the damper blade, with this damper supporting frame adapted to extend across the throat at desired inclination, and adapted to remain in the throat, supported by the masonry, after the throat form has been detached and removed from the throat.

It is a still further object of the invention to adjust the angular relation between the damper supporting frame and the throat form and to also adjust the length of the throat form, whereby the structure may be adjusted to define a smoke dome of desired shape and dimensions, i. e. a smoke dome having a base of any desired linear dimension between the front and rear walls of the smoke chamber, with the front of the dome (as defined by the throat form) of any desired inclination and length, and with the rear of the dome (as defined by the damper supporting frame) extending across the throat at any desired inclination.

It is a still further object of the invention to arrange the damper supporting frame so that the masonry of the throat may be formed around the frame and form a key for securely holding the frame in place, with the frame extending across the throat and conforming to the crosssectional contour of the throat opening.

It is a still further object of the invention to arrange the damper supporting frame so that it protects the bearings for the damper blade from 5 direct flame from the fireplace and provides an indirect leakage draft between the closed damper blade and the supporting frame.

Further objects of the invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a vertical section through the smoke chamber and flue of a fireplace, showing the invention in end elevation.

Fig. 2 shows the damper blade and its supporting frame in elevation, as viewed in the direction of arrow 2.

Fig. 3 shows the throat form in elevation, as viewed in the direction of arrow 3.

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are detail sections on the 0 lines 44, 5-5, 6-6 and 'l-! respectively of Fig. 3.

The invention is adapted for mounting in the throat of a usual fireplace, the masonry of which defines a smoke chamber A between a fireback B and a front arch C, with the smoke chamber terminating in a throat D which communicates with a flue E; the word masonry being used in this specification and in the appended claims in the broad sense of block or monolithic construction of any suitable material such as stone, brick or concrete. The corbel F at the front of the throat starts at a desired level above the arch C and extends upwardly and rearwardly at desired inclination so as to provide a desired. angle for the front of the throat, and the fireback B terminates at desired level so as to provide a throat opening of desired depth between the fireback and the front of the throat.

The invention comprises a form for forming the masonry of the corbel F at the front of the throat, and a frame which extends upwardly and forwardlyacross the throat opening for supporting the throat form while the corbel is being formed. The throat form is adjustable in length and in angular relation to the supporting frame so as to conform to the length and inclination of the corbel, and the throat form is detachably connected to the supporting frame so that after the corbel has been formed the throat form may be removed. After the throat form has been removed the supporting frame preferably remains in place, supported by the masonry and extending across the throat and forming a Supporting frame for a damper blade.

This damper supporting frame and the throat form. when detachably connected and mounted in the smoke chamber prior to forming the masonry of the throat, define a smoke dome for the smoke chamber, communicating with the smoke chamber at the open base of the dome and forming the throat of the fireplace. By adjusting the length of the throat form and its angular relation to the damper supporting frame, this smoke dome may be adjusted to define a desired throat, i. e. its open base between the lower edge of the throat form and the lower or rear edge of the damper supporting frame may be adjusted to desired depth of throat between the lower edge of the corbel F and the top of the fireback B, and the front of the dome (defined by the throat form) may be adjusted to desired inclination of the corbel F and to desired distance between the lower edge of the corbel and that lever at which the damper supporting frame meets the front of the throat, and the rear of the dome (defined by the damper supporting frame) may extend across the throat opening at desired inclination.

The throat form, which is detachably connected to its supporting frame at its upper edge, is releasably supported at its lower edge by the masonry at the top of the arch C. With the throat form adjusted in length and in angular relation to its supporting frame, and with the masonry of the fireplace formed to the level of the top of the fireback B and to the level of the start of the corbel F, the detachably connected throat form and supporting frame are mounted in place, with the lower or rear edge of the supporting frame resting on the masonry at the back of the fireplace, and with the lower edge of the throat form releasably supported by the masonry at the top of the arch C. The supporting frame and the throat form are thus held in place while the masonry of the throat is being formed, with the throat form providing a guide for forming the masonry of the corbel F. When the sup-oprting frame is intended to remain in the finished throat and form a damper supporting frame, its

, lower or rear edge is preferably supported on the top of the flreback B and its upper or front edge is supported in the masonry at the top of the corbel F; and the frame is of such shape as to conform to the cross-sectional contour of the throat opening so as to fit snugly in the throat, with the masonry of the throat, as it is formed around the damper supporting frame, providing a key for securing the frame in place. When the masonry of the throat has been formed, the upper edge of the throat form is detached from the operatively positioned damper supporting frame and its lower edge is released from the masonry at the top of the arch C, whereby the throat form may be removed from the finished fireplace structure, leaving the damper supporting frame in operative position.

The supporting frame for the throat form (when intended to remain'in the throat and form a damper supporting frame) preferably comprises a rear bar adapted to rest upon the top of the flreback B and extending the transverse width of the throat opening, a front bar adapted to be supported by the masonry at the front of the throat and extending the transverse width of the throat opening, and end bars connecting the front and rear bars and disposed at such angles to the front and rear bars as to fit snugly along the usual angularly disposed side walls of the throat. The rear bar of the frame is preferably an angle bar l-2, with its-flange I adapted to rest upon the top of the fireback B, and with its flange 2 projecting forwardly from the lower edge of the flange l. The ends of the angle bar !-2 preferably project laterally beyond the end bars of the frame as shown at 3. The end bars of the frame are preferably flat bars l having their upper surfaces in the plane of the upper surface of the flange 2. The front bar of the frame is preferably an angle bar 5-4, with the upper surface of its flange 5 in the plane of the upper surfaces of the end bars 4. The flange 5 is adapted for reception in the masonry which forms the corbel F, and the flange 5 depends from the rear edge of the flange 5 and extends along the surface of the corbel F, whereby that width of the flange 5 which forms a continuation of the thickness of the flange 6, does not project into the masonry of the corbel F but is clear of said masonry. The ends of the angle bar 5-5 preferably project laterally beyond the end bars of the frame as shown at 7.

When the supporting frame for the throat form is intended to form a support for a damper, a damper blade It is hinged to the frame; and when this damper blade is swung to closed position it rests upon the upper flat surface of the frame as defined by the upper surfaces of the flange 2, the side bars t and that width of the flange 5 which is clear of the masonry of the corbel F. The hinge connection for the damper blade may comprise rods i I fixed to the blade at its rear edge so as to project laterally beyond the respective side edges of the blade, with these rods journaled in brackets l2 which are mounted in the angle of the bar 5-2. The flange 2 thus protects the hinges for the damper blade against direct contact by flame from the fireplace; and when the damper blade is closed its entire perimeter rests upon the flat upper surface of the supporting frame so as to provide indirect leakage draft around the edge of the closed damper blade. The damper blade may be swung to desired position by usual operating means which may comprise a poker control l3l4.

The throat form comp-rises plates Iii-l1 of a. width equal to the transverse width of the front wall of the throat and adapted to overlap in the direction of their length for longitudinal telescopic adjustment so as to conform to that length of said front wall which lies between the start of the corbel F and the point at which the supporting frame for the throat form meets the front of the throat. For this purpose, the margin of the plate It is preferably flanged, with the flanges It at its side edges received in channels I9 at the side edges of the plate H as shown in detail at Figs. 5 and 6. The telescopically adjustable plates E6i'i may be releasably secured in adjusted position by thumb screws 2t, with the flange 2! at the upper edge of the plate I6 adapted for sliding fit against the channels l9 as shown in detail at Fig. 5, so as to provide a guide bearing at said flange in spaced relation from the thumb screws 2%. The thumb screws 20 and the flange 2! thus cooperate to provide spaced bearings for the telescopic plates l6l'|, whereby said plates are held in proper alinement without bending relative to one another.

The detachable connection between the upper edge of the throat form and the forward edge of its supporting frame preferably forms the means whereby these parts are adapted for relative angular adjustment. For this purpose hinges 25 may be fixed to the plate I? at its upper edge, and these hinges may be detachably connected to the supporting frame. In the illustrated embodiment wherein the supporting frame is intended to remain in the finished fireplace and form a support for a damper blade, the hinges 25. are detachably connected to the angle bar 56 of the frame, preferably by thumb screws 21 as shown in detail at Fig. 4.

The means whereby the lower edge of the throat form is releasably supported by the masonry at the top of the arch C, preferably comprises lugs which consist of angular flanges 30-3|. The flanges .30 are detachably secured to the lower edge of the plate I6, preferably by thumb screws 32, and the flanges 3| are adapted to rest upon the masonry at the top of the arch C, so that when the masonry of the throat is formed the flanges 3| are embedded in the masonry.

The invention as thus described provides means for operatively positioning a throat form prior to forming the masonry of the throat, with the throat form held in operative position by a supporting frame which, after the throat is built, may remain in the throat and form a support for a damper blade. As the throat is built, and if the supporting frame is intended to remain in the fireplace for supporting a damper, the masonry of the side walls of the throat is formed in the angles of the lateral extensions 3-! of the damper supporting frame and the masonry of the front wall of the throat is formed in the angle of the front bar 56, thereby providing a masonry key for securing the damper supporting frame in place. When the throat has been built, the thumb screws 2! and 3-2 are released so that the throat form |6--l'l may be disconnected from its supporting frame and from the angular lugs 30-31. The throat form may thus be removed from the finished fireplace; and if its supporting frame is intended to support a damper, the frame is left in the finished fireplace, securely mounted in operative position extending across the throat opening.

The lugs 303l from which the throat form has been detached, may then be withdrawn from the masonry, so that the lugs may be again connected to the throat form l6-I'I for reuse of the form in another fireplace. To permit ready withdrawal of the lugs 303l they are preferably so arranged that when in operative position sup porting the lower edge of the throat form, their flanges 3| rest upon the top of the arch C at an angle thereto as shown at Fig. 1, whereby a space is left below said flanges, between the masonry upon which the flanges rest and the masonry which overlies the flanges. Consequently the flanges 3| are not tightly embedded in the masonry, but have spaces below said flanges, permitting ready withdrawal of the lugs 33-3! from the finished fireplace.

I claim:

1. In a damper and throat form for a fireplace, a frame adapted for mounting in the throat, a damper blade on the frame, a form for the masonry at the front of the throat, and means for detachably connecting said frame and said form.

2. In a damper and throat form for a fireplace, a frame adapted for mounting in the throat, a damper blade on the frame, a form for the masonry at the front of the throat, and means for adjusting the angular relation between said frame and said form.

3. In a damper and throat form for a fireplace, a frame adapted for mounting in the throat, a damper blade on the frame, a form for the masonry at the front of the throat, and means for detachably connecting and adjusting the angular relation between said frame and said form.

4. In a damper and throat form for a fireplace, a frame adapted for mounting in the throat, a damper blade on the frame, a form for the masonry at the front of the throat, means for detachably connecting said form to said frame, and means for detachably connecting said form to the masonry at the front of the throat.

5. In a damper and throat form for a fireplace, a frame adapted for mounting in the throat, a damper blade on the frame, a form for the masonry at the front of the throat, and means for adjusting the length of said form.

6. In a damper and throat form for a fireplace, a frame adapted for mounting in the throat,-a damper blade on the frame, a form for the masonry at the front of the throat, means for adjusting the length of said form, and means for adjusting the angular relation between said frame and said form.

7. In a damper and throat form for a fireplace, a frame adapted for mounting in the throat, a damper blade on the frame, a form for the masonry at the front of the throat, and means for detachably supporting the form at the front of the throat.

8. A throat form for a fireplace, and means for detachably connecting said form to the masonry at the base of the throat of the fireplace for building a wall of the throat against said form and for removal of the form from the throat of the fireplace when the latter has been completed.

9. A throat form for a fireplace, and means for supporting the form in position for building a wall of the throat of the fireplace against said form, said supporting means providing for disengagement and removal of the form from the throat of the fireplace when the latter has been completed.

10. A throat form for a fireplace, and a frame adapted to extend across the throat of the fireplace for supporting the form in position for building a wall of the throat against said form and for removal of the form from the throat of the fireplace when the latter has been completed.

11. A throat form for a fireplace, and a frame adapted to extend across the throat of the fireplace and detachably connected to the form for supporting the form in position for building a wall of the throat against said form, the detachable connection between the frame and the form permitting disengagement and removal of the form from the throat of the fireplace when the latter has been completed.

12. A throat form for a fireplace, and a frame adapted to extend across the throat and connected to the form for angular adjustment relative thereto for supporting the form at the front of the throat.

13. In a damper, a frame adapted for mounting in a fireplace and comprising transverse bars and end bars connecting the same, one of the transverse bars comprising an angle bar with one of its flanges adapted to have a portion of its width embedded in the masonry of the fireplace and with its other flange depending from the first mentioned flange and adapted to abut the masonry so that at least that width of the first mentioned flange which forms a continuation of the thickness of the depending flange is not embedded in the masonry, and a damper blade adapted for support at the upper surface of that width of the 76 first mentioned flange which is clear of the masonry.

14. In a damper, a frame comprising front and rear angle bars and end connecting bars in the plane of and. projecting from one of the flanges of each of the front and rear angle bars, the other flange of the rear angle bar projecting upwardly from the rear edge of its first mentioned flange, the other flange of the front angle bar depending from the rear edge of the first mentioned flange, the frame being adapted for projection forwardly and upwardly across the throat of a fireplace, with the upwardly projecting flange of the rear angle bar resting upon the fireback of the fireplace and with the forward portion of the width of the first mentioned flange of the front angle bar embedded in the masonry at the front of the throat and with the depending flange of the front angle bar abutting the masonry so that at least that width of the first mentioned flange of the front angle bar which forms a continuation of the thickness of its depending flange is not embedded in the masonry, and a damper blade hinged in the angle of the rear angle bar and adapted for support of its front edge at the upper surface of that width of the first mentioned flange of the front angle bar which is clear of the masonry at the front of the throat.

DOUGLAS C. KLANN. 

